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Cheyenne Karst

Expository Writing 7

December 7 2018

Down with Abstinence Only Education

A war has been raging between those who believe students should learn abstinence only

sexual education and those who see the value in comprehensive education. Various historical

events have continually changed the preferred focus of sex education. The idea of sexual

education was introduced with the return of WWI soldiers who brought with them an array of

sexually transmitted diseases. Originally, the focus was on the prevention of spreading these

diseases and roles within the family. During the sexual revolution of the 1960s the programs

shifted to the importance of the individual, including information on how teens should handle the

potential pressures of sexual experiences. Twenty-five years later, with the encouragement of the

U.S. surgeon general, the AIDS epidemic forced sex ed to focus more on the spread and

prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (Dastagir). In today’s world, comprehensive sexual

education is more important than ever. With sixty percent of women and nearly seventy percent

of men becoming sexually active before their eighteenth birthday, it is necessary that students are

taught how to protect themselves (Richards). Comprehensive sexual education is simply the best

option to do this due to the strong moral implications of the program along with the false

information provided by abstinence only education, the proof of effectiveness of comprehensive

programs around the world, and its strong impact on consent and rape culture.

Many abstinence only supporters believe that comprehensive programs encourage

students to become sexually active at a younger age though multiple studies have proven this

untrue (Dastagir). One independent study, quoted by Ian Quillen, found that comprehensive sex
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ed programs reduce “risky sexual behavior [including early sexual activity] and limit the spread

of sexually transmitted infections.” While this is the case for comprehensive programs, nearly

every study completed on the effectiveness of abstinence only programs are either highly skewed

in some way, or are directly admitted by the researchers to be inaccurate (Kim and Rector). In

addition to this, abstinence supporters believe that this is a foolproof method of sexual education.

As stated by Cory Richards, though it is simple to recognize that abstinence is, in fact, the only

100 percent guaranteed method of preventing sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy, this

method often fails leaving uninformed students at risk. As professor David C. Wiley states, “We

are raising generation after generation of sexually illiterate adults” (Vine). In doing this, every

student who remains uninformed on the important aspects taught by comprehensive sexual

education are left unprotected from the dangers of sexual activity.

One of the many moral issues with abstinence only sexual education is the prevailing

sexist and non-inclusive themes through the coursework. The “values” in abstinence courses lay

much of the responsibility along with the blame on young women and girls and little to no

responsibility on those of the male gender. This is exemplified in one program which compares

women to used pieces of tape “to show that after several ‘uses’ (sexual acts or partners) the tape

is less clean and perfect” (Bruggink). In using demonstrations such as this, courses teach students

a variety of sexist values. First, these sorts of ideas imply that women are the only ones who are

affected by the act of intercourse and that men are simply blameless and unaffected. Additionally,

this leads students to believe many common myths about the female anatomy and the effects

which intercourse can have upon the body. This is taught though it is scientific fact that these

rumors are completely false. Additionally, it is often argued that abstinence only education

violates Title X “by emphasizing abstinence over other forms of family planning and
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encouraging single women not to have sex” (The Times Editorial Board). Through the teaching

of comprehensive sexual education, students learn the importance of both partners in a

relationship taking responsibility. This allows for healthier and stronger relationships as well as

diminishing the sexism which is so common in today’s world. In addition, abstinence programs

manipulate students into believing that sexual activity is shameful and something to fear.

Because of this, courses do not teach about making informed decisions, only about why students

should feel shame (Kantor). Opponents of comprehensive education claim that the program

“normalizes sex” (Richards). In doing this, they are making it seem as though sex is not a normal

and necessary part of life. Though it may be difficult for some to accept, sex is absolutely

necessary to populate the earth and should be respected as such. By teaching students that it is

shameful it not only frightens them about the topic, it also prevents them from learning necessary

facts to make them capable in life and to protect them from pregnancy and sexually transmitted

disease.

Through the use of comprehensive sexual education, students are also able to learn more

about larger personal and mental health issues that they might face in life. This is exemplified in

the personal story of Melanie Thibeault. Through her childhood, she was taught no more than the

one-day lesson on menstruation in conjunction with the uneducated rumors she heard from her

peers. As she began to reach adulthood, Thibeault began to realize that she felt “different”

eventually understanding that she was homosexual. Because of her lack of education on the topic

she was unaware of how to handle the situation and it took years to understand how to deal with

it and to accept herself as she was.

Additionally, comprehensive education is safer, healthier, and scientifically more reliable

for students than abstinence education. In order to prevent premarital sex, many abstinence
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programs use tactics of “fear and false information” (Bruggink). By doing this, students often

feel that they are being pressured into early marriage simply to allow themselves to become

sexually active. Along with this, Bruggink also reveals that many abstinence programs parade

religious beliefs as scientific fact forcing religion onto students and often causing false

information to be presented. In one case, supporters of abstinence only education forced a

program to completely remove parts of the reproductive anatomy from textbook images. This

included removing diagrams of breast and testicular exams, and erasing the clitoris from the

female anatomy, as well as reducing the size of the penis on a male reproductive diagram (Vine).

The basis of comprehensive education is facts and data allowing students to constantly receive

the most accurate and up to date information available.

Many abstinence programs claim that condoms have a failure rate of up to fourteen

percent. They do not specify that this high number is actually due to user failure. When people

are taught, and follow through with proper use of these products, the effectivity rate exceeds

ninety nine percent. Students taught with this method are less likely to use protection during sex

due to a decrease in belief of reliability (Bruggink). Through comprehensive programs, students

are taught these proper use methods to allow them to be safer when they do become sexually

active. Research has shown that abstinence education may reduce sexual activity in the short

term, though it has shown little difference in long term studies (Kim and Rector). This being said,

there is “considerable scientific evidence” which proves that comprehensive sexual education

“delay[s] the onset of sexual activity, reduce[s] [students] number of sexual partners, and

increase[s] contraceptive use” (Richards). By using this program, it is possible to reduce the

amount of teen pregnancy and STD rates around the world.

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Across the globe, comprehensive programs have been shown to have a greater long-term

impact upon student’s sexual activity, as well as rates of teen pregnancy and births. When

compared with other countries around the world, teenagers in the United States are twice as

likely to become pregnant as teens in the UK, Whales, or Canada and nine times as likely as

those in the Netherlands and Japan. One reason for this is that those from the United States are

less likely to use contraceptives such as the pill, other hormonal birth controls, or condoms

(Richards). As mentioned by Katy Vine, those at the highest risk for STDs and pregnancy are

teens from low socioeconomic levels. These teens are also the ones who receive the least sexual

education of any form. By increasing the amount of sexual education being taught and the depth

in which it is taught, these high-risk students would be much less likely to have such increased

birth rates. Due to the increased availability of contraceptives and the higher level of

comprehensive programs implemented by President Obama, the teen birthrate in the United

States dropped to an all-time low in April of 2016. Many European countries teach students

comprehensive programs that begin at a young age. This is exemplified in the Netherlands where

by the age of four, children are required to learn about healthy relationships. This has been

proven to work, as ninety percent of Dutch teens use protection in the first sexual experience,

and their birth rates are one fifth that of American teens (Thibeault).

Another important point discussed in comprehensive sexual education classes is the

necessity of boundaries and consent in all, especially physical, relationships. Abstinence

programs do not teach young people about the lines of sexual assault, or that when they or their

partner says no, it means no (Warner). In this, the era of the #MeToo movement, the necessity of

consent education has been thrust into the spotlight. It is imperative that students are being taught

what is acceptable, and when they have crossed the line into sexual harassment and assault. As
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stated by Jean Slonaker, “We know that if we’re going to actually transform… the pervasive

culture of sexual harassment and sexual assault, we’ve got to start from the youngest ages and

start teaching the basics of autonomy and boundaries and consent” (Thibeault). By using the

platform set up in early comprehensive education programs in the U.S. and around the world,

students could begin learning about these simple topics in the first grade or younger. Topics such

as “good touch, bad touch” are simple and age appropriate content for younger children and

allow them a slow but progressive introduction into the more in-depth topics of high school level

sexual education.

As author Cory Richards states, premarital and teen sexual activity “is and will continue

to be common, both in this country and around the world.” And while it is undisputed that

abstinence is an important part of sexual education, the lack of true facts within abstinence only

courses leave much room for improvement. As these courses are often littered with religious

teachings instead of scientific fact, many feel that they are taught with a highly “Puritan

mentality” (Thibeault). Fortunately, it is possible to implement a program where a school teaches

a comprehensive sexual education program which sets out to please all those involved. By

allowing parents a chance to look over course material and giving them the right to withdraw

their students, schools can offer programs that will not offend those of a stricter code when it

comes to this sensitive subject, while still teaching the subject in a manner which is best for the

greater majority of the population. In doing this, schools can teach courses which are inclusive,

and nonsexist, medically and scientifically accurate, and that keep up with the teachings of the

rest of the developed world, as well as bringing light to the issue of sexual assault. From the data,

it is simple to deduce that comprehensive education is the best and truly only option when it

comes to informing our youth.

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Works Cited
Brodeaur, Paul, and Teresa Larkin. “Should the Legislature Adopt the Bill Aimed at Modernizing

Sex…” Boston Globe (Online), 8 June 2018, SIRS Issues Researcher, sks.sirs.com.
Bruggink, Heidi. “Miseducation: The Lowdown on Abstinence-only Sex-ed Programs”. The

Humanist, Feb 2007, p. 4+. Military and Intelligence Database Collection,

ic.galegroup.com.
Dastagir, Alia E. “An Age-Old Struggle of Morality vs. Reality Enters a New Era.” USA Today, 8

May 2018. SIRS Issues Researcher, sks.sirs.com.

De Haas, Billie. “New Sex Education Framework Will Do More Harm Than Good.” 1 July 2018.

SIRS Issues Researcher, sks.sirs.com.

Kantor, Leslie. “Who Decides? Parents and Comprehensive Sexuality Education…” SEICUS

Report, 1994, p. 7-12, SIRS Issues Researcher, sks.sirs.com.

Kim, Christine, and Robert Rector. “The Abstinence-Only Sex Education Curriculum is

Effective”. Are Textbooks Biased?, edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2012. At

Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com.

ProQuest Staff. “Teenage Pregnancy Timeline”. Leading Issues Timelines, 2018. SIRS Issues

Researcher, sks.sirs.com.
Quillen, Ian. “Comprehensive Sex Ed. Programs Effective, Panel Finds;…” Education Week, 18

Nov. 2009, p. 5. Health Reference Center Academic, ic.galegroup.com.

Richards, Cory. “Q: Should Congress Be Giving More Financial Support…”. Insight on the

News, 10 Nov. 2003, p. 47. Military and Intelligence Database Collection,

ic.galegroup.com.
Ronan, Alex. “Chlamydia Hits High School With Abstinence-Only Sex-Ed Policy”. The Cut, 7

May 2015, Health Reference Center Academic, is.galegroup.com.

The Times Editorial Board. “The Trump Administration Is Senselessly Undermining an Effective

Birth Control Funding Program”. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 14 May

2018, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com.

Thibeault, Melanie. “What I Wish I Had Learned in Middle-School Sex Ed.” Boston Globe

(Online), 11 June 2018, SIRS Issues Researcher, sks.sirs.com

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Vine, Katy. “Faith, Hope, & Chastity: Texas Receives More…”. Texas Monthly, May 2008, p.

134+. Biography in Context, ic.galegroup.com.

Warner, Vanessa. “Abstinence-Only Sex Education Can Prevent Teenage Pregnancy.” Teen

Pregnancy and Parenting, edited by Helen Cothran, Greenhaven Press, 2001. Current

Controversies. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com.